Other Views: Fireworks aren't fun for all Americans

Last year, the town of Narrowsburg, N.Y., canceled its Fourth of July fireworks display. Some people complained, but the town's decision made the holiday much safer for another American symbol: bald eagles. In previous years, the bald eagles who make their nests along the Delaware River in Narrowsburg were apparently so terrified by the fireworks' deafening booms and flashing lights that some chicks fled their nests. One eagle fledgling was even found with a broken leg the next day.

Pyrotechnics have become synonymous with patriotism, but celebrating our freedom by shooting explosives into the sky is distressing, dangerous and sometimes even deadly for animals. Narrowsburg isn't the only place where fireworks have put birds in danger. In Gualala, a fireworks show caused nesting seabirds to abandon their vulnerable chicks and prompted the California Coastal Commission to ban the city's fireworks display. Fireworks that were shot off in an Arkansas neighborhood one New Year's Eve sent red-winged blackbirds and European starlings into a panic, and about 5,000 birds were killed after colliding with houses, signs and the ground.

Domesticated animals are also traumatized by the thundering booms of fireworks. While their guardians "ooh" and "ahh" over the colorful explosions, many animals tremble in terror, pace the floor, pant or hide. Others, desperate to escape from what must sound like the war of the worlds to their sensitive ears, tear through screens or even break through windows. Many dogs and cats who are left outdoors during fireworks jump over or dig under fences and take off running. Animal shelters are often flooded with stray animals following the Fourth of July. Those who make it to an animal shelter are the lucky ones: Many animals who flee in panic are hit by cars and never found by their families.

For chained dogs - who are already deprived of companionship, exercise and everything that makes their lives enjoyable - July 4 is an especially frightening night. Some dogs slip out of their collars or break their chains and bolt. Others have tried to jump over nearby fences, only to hang themselves and die slowly of strangulation.

Animals of many species find fireworks terrifying. Last year, authorities in Indiana had to halt a freight train so that they could rescue a pregnant horse who apparently ran from her stall after being spooked by fireworks and got her hoof caught between the ties on a railroad bridge.

In addition to the trauma that they cause animals, fireworks also harm the environment. They fill the air with smoke, which can damage birds' sensitive respiratory systems, and they pollute water sources with debris. Many fireworks contain potassium perchlorate, which can leach into groundwater and may affect thyroid function, especially in children and pregnant women. Stray sparks from fireworks can ignite wildlife habitat as well as humans' homes.

For all these reasons, many communities have been modernizing their Fourth of July celebrations by switching to other forms of entertainment, such as laser-light shows. According to Graham K. Small of Lightwave International, which puts on laser-light shows, "With insurance liability, fire concerns and changing attitudes communities want to try something new after decades of using fireworks."

We can love our country and the animals who share it with us by encouraging our communities to consider a fireworks-free Fourth of July and by staying with our animal companions during fireworks displays to help keep them calm and safe. Closing blinds and curtains, keeping the lights on and playing classical music will help minimize the booms and flashing. Having our animals microchipped and making sure that they wear collars with current identification tags will help us find them if the worst somehow still occurs.

We don't need bombs bursting in air to remind us of what makes the United States great. This Independence Day, let's have a peaceful celebration that Americans of all species can enjoy.